Gaseous fuel control system



April. 24, 1934.

E. J. TE. PAS

GASEOUS FUEL-CONTROL SYSTEM Filed April 21, 1928 Jnwwhz 44 ID WIPatented Apr. 24, 1934 GASEOUS FUEL ooN'raoL SYSTEM Edmund J. Te Pas,Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to The Patrol Valve Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application" April 21, 1928, Serial No. 271,807

This invention relates to gaseous fuel controls and in particular safetycontrols for domestic range ovens.

A large percentage of the gas ranges which are manufactured and sold atthe present time are equipped with a thermostatic regulator to controlthe temperature of the oven. A constantly burning pilot burner isusually provided for the purpose of igniting the main burner of the ovenat such times as when 'the thermostatic valve completely shuts oil thesupply of gas to thisburner.

It is apparent that if the pilot light should become extinguished forany cause whatsoever, the thermostatic valve would turn on the gassupply to the burner and a very hazardous condition would result, withthe possibility of an explosion or asphyxiation to the occupants of thehouse in which the stove is located.

One of the objects of my invention is toprovide a safety device for gasburners which prevents the escape of unburned gas from the main burnerupon extinguishment of the pilot light.

Another object of my invention is to provide an automatic control foroven burners that makes it impossible to admit gas to the main burnerbefore the pilot burner is lighted.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple and fool proofdevice of the type described and for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

Another further object of my invention is to provide an ignition devicefor oven burners which positively insures the proper ignition of themain burner.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the inventionconsists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination ofparts, hereinafter described, illustrated in some of its embodiment inthe accompanying drawing and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

Stated in general terms my invention consists in the provision of athermostatic valve, operatively associated with a main heating gasburner and an ignition pilot burner, to control the flow of gas to saidmain burner in accordance with the operation of the main burner and thepilot burner.

The principal advantage of my improved control is the high factor ofsafety which it aifords in the operation of the ordinary domestic rangeoven, making it impossible to operate the main burner without thepresence of a pilot flame for its ignition.

Av further advantage of my improved control is that it automaticallyshuts off the gas supply to the main burner in the event of failure ofthe a gas supply.

My improved safety shut off valve is provided with a pressure operatedbellows in communication with a tubular extension adjacent the mainburner or pilot burner. The tube and the bellows are filled with aliquid that is adapted to be vaporized by the heat of the main burner ora constantly burning pilot flame. This serves to expand the bellows andopen a needle valve that controls the supply of gas to the main burnerof the oven.

Referring to the drawing Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical' elevational view,of vmy improved control. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view partly insection of the thermostatic valve. Fig. 3 is an end elevational view ofthe valve shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is amodified form of valve structure which may be used in connection withthe valve shown in detail in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

The diagrammatical view Fig. 1 illustrates. an oven or burner enclosure1, that is provided with a main gas burner 2. A thermostatic controlvalve 3 having a thermostat 3' located in the oven is adapted to controlthe operation of the burner 2. This valve is of the conventional typeand is commonly referred to as an oven regulator. It is provided with ahandle 4 which may be set to whatever temperature it is desired tomaintain in the oven.

Gas to the burner 2 is supplied from the main supply conduit 5 which isprovided with a manually operable valve 6. A push-button or springclosed valve '7 and a needle valve 8 are provided .for the purpose ofcontrolling the gas supply of the branch lines 14 and 16. These valvesare of conventional design and are not illustrated in detail.

The thermostat 3' is connected at its inlet side I to the gas supplyline 5 and its outlet end is connected to the pipe 9 that carries athermostatically controlled shut-ofi valve 10 at its lower end. Theoutlet end of the valve 10 projects into the gas and air mixing tube 11of the mainvalve 7 is connected at its outlet end to a conduit 14 whichterminates in a burner nozzle .15. The needle valve 8 is connected to aconduit 16 which terminates in a pilot burner 17, which is located inheating proximity to the outer end of the tube 12. The valve 10, whichis shown in detail in Figs. 2,- 3, 4 and 5 consists of a casing 18 whichmay be die-cast. The casing 18 is provided with a pair of bosses 19 and20 either one of which may be tapped for connection to the gas supplyline.

In the present case the boss 20 is used for connection to the gas supplyline. The valve casing 18 is provided witha cover plate 42 which isadapted to be secured in gas tight relation thereto by means of thescrews 43. The screws 43 are received in suitably tapped holes 21 whichare provided in the upper part of the casing 18 substantially as shown.The operating element of the valve consists of metallic bellows 22 whichare connected to the sealed conduit 12. The bellows 22 are secured tothe casing 18 by means of a lock nut 23 carried by the threaded end 24of a fitting to which the bellows are soldered. The conduit 12 isconnected to the threaded fitting 24 by means of the apertured nut 25.

A U-shaped flat spring 26 is clamped between the bellows 22 and thecasing 18 by means of the lock nut 23. The top of the bellows 22 issealed by a disk having a raised central portion 14 adapted to contactwith the spring 26. The outer end of the U-shaped spring 26 is adaptedto contact with the head 27 of the needle valve 28. The needle valve 28is carried in a spud 29 that is adjustably and threadedly received at 30in the casing 18. A look nut 31 is provided to lock the spud in thedesired position. The spring 32 is positioned below the head 27 of theneedle valve 28. The spud orifice 351 cooperates with the conical end,of the needle 28 constituting a valve therewith.

The needle valve 28 is slotted at 33 to provide a gas passage to theorifice 34 of the spud 29. A modified form of construction is shown inFig. 5 that does not require the use of the spring 32. In this case theU-spring 35 is provided with a forked end 36 which is adapted to bereceived in the annular groove 3'7 formed in the head 38 of the valveneedle 39.

Referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that when the bellows 22 is expandedfrom the position shown, the U-spring 26 is spread moving its end awayfrom the head 27 of the needle valve. This permits the spring 32 to pushthe needle valve to its open position. When the bellows is in itsnormally contracted condition the valve parts are in a position shown inFig. 2.

When the modified form of needle valve and spring as shown in Fig. 5 isused the needle valve may be moved to an open and closed positiondirectly by the spring 35. This arrangement does not require the use ofthe spring 32. In some cases where a delicate adjustment of the valve isnecessary, the necessary play between the forked end of the spring 35and the groove 3'? would prevent the use of the needle 39 unless someprovision is made to automatically take up the lost motion at thispoint.

The cover plate 42 is provided with a set screw 40 and lock nut 41. Thisset screw is axially aligned with the needle 28 and is received in athreaded opening in the cover plate 42. The end of the set screw 40 maybe adjusted at any distance above the end of the spring 26 and in thismanner control the maximum opening of the port which the needle valve 28controls.

In the preferred mode of operation of the device, the oven regulatorhandle 4 is first set to the desired temperature setting. The gas cook 6is then opened whereupon gas is supplied to the pilot burner 17 only, asthe valve 10 is nor mally closed at the start of operations preventingthe supply of gas to the oven burner. The burner 17 is then ignited andthe valve 7 is opened for the purpose of supplying gas to the auxiliaryburner 15. The gas issuing from the burner 15 is ignited by the pilot1'? and the flames of the burners 15 and 1'? impinge on the thermostattube 12 causing the valve 10 to open quickly and supply gas to the ovenburner 2 which is ignited by the flame of both the burners 15 and 17.The valve? is now closed and the oven burner operates under control ofthe thermostatic regulator 3 and the thermostatic cut-off valve 10.

The thermostat tube 12 is shown in position so as to be subject to theheat of the main burner 2 and the pilot burner 17. The heat supplied tothe tube 12 by either of these burners is sufiicient to maintain thevalve 10 in its open position so that the extinguishment of both themain burner and the pilot burner is necessary before the closure of thevalve lOcan take place.

By the use of the auxiliary burner 15, it is possible to open the Valve10 in a much shorter time than would be possible if the heat of thepilot 17 were depended upon alone for this operation as it is capable ofdoing. The auxiliary burner 15 in addition to speeding up the openingoperation of the valve 10 also permits the use of a thermostatic valvethat closes almost immediately upon the withdrawal of the source of heatwhich maintains it in its open position. The quick closing of the valve10 is accomplished by arranging it so that the calculated minimum amountof heat supplied to it is just sufiicient to keep it in its openposition. With the valve 10 adjusted in this manner it would takeseveral minutes for the heat of the pilot burner 17 to effect itsopening where the pilot burner is depended upon alone for this purpose.The use of the auxiliary burner 15 also provides a better ignition meansfor the oven burner eliminating the possibiilty of small explosions fromdelayed ignition. J 11 In all of the arrangements discussed, I prefer touse an auxiliary burner such as 15 in order to provide for the fasteropening and closing of the valve 10 and the better ignition of the ovenburner at the start of operations. 115

This arrangement may be readily applied to a large variety of gasburning appliances and is particularly useful in connection withenclosed as burners that are automatically controlled. 1

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the 129 particular forms ofapparatus shown and described, and the particular procedure set forth,are presented for purposes of explanation and illustration and thatvarious modifications of said apparatus and procedure can be made with-12 out departing from my invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a device of the character described, a gas burner, a gas and airmixing tube in communication therewith, a source of gas supply therefor,an adjustable spud projecting into said mixing tube, a valve memberassociated with the orifice of said spud to control the flow of gastherethrough, spring means tending to unseat 135 said valve member, aresilient lever tending to bias the valve member to its seated position,temperature responsive means positioned to control the biasing effect ofsaid lever, adjustable means positioned to limit movement of said lever140 in one direction, and a casing in communication with said source ofgas supply for housing said valve member and at least a portion of saidtemperature responsive means, and for supporting said spud andadjustable means so that they are 145 accessible from the exterior ofsaid casing.

EDMUND J. TE PAS.

